When All Else Falls Away, Part II
by Isabel-7
Summary: I don't know if anyone's even still reading this, but I'm going to add a few more chapters. If you're reading please review or I'm probably going to let this story head out to pasture...
1. Things Change, and Yet Remain the Same

Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  

Sorry about the wait on this…I've rewritten it a few times already.  I haven't got any other chapters ready right now, but I figured I'd let you all have this one.  This is for everyone that's been writing to ask when the hell the sequel is coming!  It's short, but I hope you enjoy!  I'll try to get Chapter 2 up ASAP.

Chapter 1: Things change, and yet remain the same 

**Michaelangelo:**

Athena paired Leonardo and Donatello for sparring.  While they worked, Raphael and I were supposed to continue practicing individually.  I decided to stretch first since my muscles were already tight.  I missed the days when this came easy.  I think everyone did, especially Leonardo.  I suppose it was a good, humbling experience for all of us to have to basically go back to square one.  We used to think of ourselves as ninja masters, now we looked like awkward kids learning their first kata.  

Not having shells had affected us in ways we never could have predicted.  I hadn't really thought we'd be able to get right back into training again and have everything be the same, but I hadn't expected this either.  Athena had started to teach us a new style, one that only she and her sisters knew.  It was amazing.  I'd never seen anything like it.  If we could master it, we'd be untouchable, like them.  Our bodies just wouldn't cooperate though.  We were slow and clumsy.  Athena kept insisting that it was all in our minds, but the pain in my back didn't agree.  I watched my brothers go through the motions.  It wasn't pretty.  I looked at Athena.  Her frustration had started to show recently.  I felt as though we were failing her.  I hated feeling like that.  We owed her everything.

After burying Splinter at the farm, we had thought seriously about staying there.  We even tried it for a week, but it had been the week from hell for everyone.  His death was just ripping us apart.  So Athena suggested a change of scenery and moved us back to her place.  We each had our own room here, which helped.  Time alone had become a necessity.  The island was beautiful.  I had already been over most of it and found all my favorite spots.  

A few months ago, Athena offered to train us.  There was a catch though.  She said the only way Rhea would let her teach us what she knew was if we agreed to "join the team."  I think the only one that hesitated was Raph, but I don't know why.  So we had agreed and our training began.  It helped at first; it gave us something new to do and concentrate on.  Yet here we were, failing miserably.  I looked up to see Leonardo dodge Donatello's clumsy kick and nearly fall over.  God, we sucked.

**Athena:**

I'd watched them train like this for what seemed like hours, and it was only 8 in the morning.  I couldn't take much more.  Not only were their hearts not in it, but from the looks of things, neither were there bodies.  Not one of them had followed one instruction that I'd given.  It was a miracle they hadn't hurt each other yet, or themselves.

"Enough!"

Donatello and Leonardo immediately stopped, chests heaving.  They shouldn't be this tired already, and if they had listened to me, they wouldn't be.

"You're not listening to what I'm telling you."

"Sorry."

I knew that Leo would be the first to apologize.

"I don't want apologies.  I want progress.  You are capable of more than you're doing."

Michaelangelo and Raphael approached us, and I stood in the middle of them.  None of them would meet my eyes.  It wasn't that they couldn't do what I asked of them; they just wouldn't.  Each one had his reasons for blocking his own progression, and yet I knew it all boiled down to the same thing.

"Michael."  He picked his head up.

"Yes?"

"You did great with this in practice with me the other day—why is it you come in here and as soon as you start sparring with your brother, you return to your old way of blocking?"

"I don't know."  He dropped his head again.

I knew that berating them was not how to get the job done, but I was starting to lose my patience and I hated to admit that.

"Old habits don't break so easy, you know."

I hadn't expected him to speak.  He usually saved his venom for his brothers exclusively.

"I know that, Raphael."

"Well, it sure as hell doesn't seem like it."

"Trust me, I do.  I wouldn't be getting so impatient though if you were at least trying, and you're not.  You know you're not."

**Raphael:**

I knew what she was saying was true, but I wasn't in the mood.

"We'll try harder."

That was about the last thing I needed.  Where did Leo get off always thinking he could speak for all of us?  I couldn't let it slide.

"What do you mean, '_we'll_ try harder'?"

"Exactly what I said."  He was getting that look in his eyes.  A few more exchanges and we'd be right at each other again.  Athena had already had to break us up plenty.  

"Well, why don't you ask people before you go ahead and speak for us?"

"Don't start with this shit again, Raph.  I'm not in the mood."

It still sounded funny to hear Leo swear; his language had deteriorated a lot since we started training under Athena.  I didn't know if he realized that it made his frustration really obvious.  Apparently my amusement showed on my face, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Something funny?"

"Plenty.  Pick one."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know something, for the calm one you sure as hell do have a temper these days."

"You're one to talk."

The next thing I knew, I was across the room on my ass.  I picked my head up, ready to go kick Leo's ass, but saw that he was already at the other end of the room, on his ass.  Athena was standing where we had just been, and she did NOT look happy.

"Get over here, now."  I didn't really know whether she was talking to Leo, or me, but I decided to play it safe and just haul ass.

**Athena:**

"Michaelangelo and Donatello, go run.  Five miles.  Now."

Luckily they didn't have anything to say and left the room quickly.

"As for you two—I am so sick and tired of listening to you!  Day in and day out you bicker like two old men and I bet you couldn't even tell me why if I asked you!"

They stood there, silent.

"Leonardo, why do you have to argue with Raphael?  You have to know he's just baiting you, and still you take the bait every time!"

"I know."

"So then why do you do it?"

"I don't know."

"Raphael?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No."

"Well, isn't that just great."  
I looked from one to the other.  They both had things they could say, but they were holding their tongues.  I could finish this now, but it wasn't the time—yet.  The day would come soon enough.

"Go to your rooms."

"You don't want us to run?"

"No, Leonardo, I want you to go to your rooms.  Now."

They both left without any further argument.

As the doors slid shut behind them, I knew I couldn't take much more of this.  Something had to give.


	2. A Promise Made

Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  

Chapter 2: A Promise Made 

**Psyche:**

"Good morning, sunshine!"  Athena didn't look like she was in the mood, but I decided to try it anyway.

"Fuck off."

"I think you've been spending too much time with Raphael."

"It's not just Raphael."

"Things still aren't going well?"

"You could say that."

"I get the feeling lately that you could say more than that too."

Athena was staring blankly at the contents of the cupboard as though she were waiting for something in there to call out, "Pick me! Pick me!"  I could have let the conversation die, but I didn't.  She'd changed a lot in the short time they'd been with us, so I decided to push my luck.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself.  They've been through hell and back the last few months.  They're still just learning to accept.  They've only barely started to cope."

She didn't respond, but she dropped her head and stared at the counter.  Well, it had been a gamble.  I lost.  I put the dishes in the sink and headed to the doorway.

"I made a promise."

Well, I'll be damned.  "You made a promise to whom?"

"Splinter."

"What for?"

"I promised that I'd take care of them, that I'd look after them."

"You're doing that."

"Not like I should be.  I thought that training them would be a good thing, that it would help give them back something they lost.  Now I'm starting to think that it was the wrong decision."

"Give it time, Athena.  You're teaching them something so advanced that only the people who live here know about it.  You're asking them to do things with their bodies, that up until you started training them, they never even thought were possible.  That in itself would be huge even if nothing else had happened, but they're having to do it with bodies that they're not even comfortable doing the old stuff with yet."

"I know; I know everyone thinks I should back off them."

"I didn't say that."

"The thing is, this is the perfect time to train them.  Rather than re-teach their bodies to be comfortable doing what they used to do and then having to re-teach them the new way, it just makes more sense to teach them the new way now.  I have to teach mind and body at the same time.  It would be too confusing to do it any other way."

"Exactly.  You're doing the right thing, just cut them, and yourself, some slack."

"I can't."

**Nemesis:**

I walked into the kitchen and immediately sensed a serious conversation underway.  I thought about walking back out, but decided against it.

"What are you two up to?"

"Athena's frustrated because training isn't going well."

"How so?"  The look on Athena's face made me sorry I asked.

"Well, let's see…this morning was a complete fiasco to the point that we finished about 2 hours early.  It's not like this was the first time that's happened either.  Raphael and Leonardo are at each other constantly so you can't give them even 2 seconds alone with nothing to do or they're right at each other's throats.  I started trying to train them individually in the afternoons, but Raph always gets pissed and storms out.  Leo's frustration level is enough to make me want to pull my own hair out; Donatello is just disinterested in the whole thing.  Michaelangelo is making the best progress, but only when he trains alone with me.  As soon as I put him back with his brothers, it's just like we never accomplished anything.  They don't listen; they don't even try.  They all said they wanted to do this, but I'm not seeing it.  I just don't know what to do with them."

"Well, that's easy.  You don't do anything.  You just keep doing what you're doing; they'll come around."

"And if they don't?"

"They will."

"Considering I'm the one that spends all the time with them, you sound pretty sure about that."

"Just call it a hunch."

"I don't like relying on hunches."

"Bullshit!  You're the queen of 'going with your gut'."

"Yeah, my gut, not yours."

"Funny."

She really had changed; as upset as she obviously was, she still managed to joke.  Only months ago she would have ripped someone's head off and stormed out.  It was a nice change.  Strange, but nice.

"So where are the boy wonders now?"

"Michaelangelo and Donatello are out running--"

"By choice?"

"No."

"Oooh, slave driver."

"I am not."

"What about the bad apples?"

"They're not 'bad apples'.  They're just polar opposites.  Anyway, I sent them to their rooms."

"Wow, slave driver and evil stepmother all rolled into one!  I'm impressed!"

"Neme, shut the hell up."  She shot Psyche a look to kill for snickering.

"Well, come on Psyche, we've got to get going or Iris will have our asses.  Some of us do still have to work around here."

"Hey, anytime you want to trade, just say the word."

"Hmmm…straightening-out-serious-psychological-scarring-while-trying-to-teach-the-most-advanced-fighting-technique-ever vs. kicking-the-ass-of-low-life-scum-bags…yeah, catch ya later!"

"Bitch."

**Athena:**

They were laughing away to themselves as they left the kitchen.  Damn them.  I _so_ wanted out of here, even for just a few hours.  I felt the need to snap some jerk's neck.  I hadn't felt that urge in a while, and it was strong.  I needed to go let loose in the training room for a while this afternoon and burn off some steam.

I finally settled on toast for breakfast.  I picked at it while I sat alone at the counter.  I didn't get much time to myself these days, and yet I really felt alone most of the time.  I was basically cut off from my sisters, who were off doing their own thing most of the time--and forget about the guys.  They were too busy walking around like big, gaping wounds to be any company at all, really.  Part of me just wished I could hug them and make everything better, protect them from ever being hurt again.  Maybe that was what tore me apart; I was up against something I didn't know how to fix.  There was no simple solution for this.  They were in pain, there wasn't anything I could do about it, and it sucked.

I pushed the plate across the counter and laid my head down on my arms.  Splinter would know what to do.  And therein lay the problem:  I wasn't Splinter.

Suddenly I had a light bulb moment.  I wasn't Splinter.  Splinter was gone and there was no replacement, no substitute.  Yet that was exactly what I'd been trying to do.  I was trying to be someone I wasn't because I didn't know whom, or how, to be.  No wonder we were all failing miserably.  I needed to talk to Rhea, but she wasn't due to contact us until tomorrow.  I could wait until then.

"You okay?"

I snapped my head up off the counter; I hadn't even felt anyone enter the room.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Really, I'm fine."  I looked at them standing in the doorway, soaking wet.  

"How was your run?"

"Lovely.  Did you know it's raining outside?"

"No, but I figured it was either that or you were sweating profusely."

Michaelangelo gave me a look to let me know he wasn't appreciating my humor.

"So what happened with Mr. Sunshine and his sidekick?"  I smiled.  He was always coming up with nicknames for those two.

"Which one's the sidekick?"

"Depends on who started it."

"Oh, they're up in their rooms."

"You sent them to their rooms?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Wow; I bet that went over well."

"Actually, they didn't say anything."

"Well after you threw 'em both across the room I wouldn't imagine they'd say much.  You NEED to teach me that move, by the way.  You're not the only one who gets tired of listening to them."

"That's going to end soon."

"Are you going to let them kill each other?"  Michaelangelo could be so rotten sometimes.

"No, not exactly."  I could have been wrong, but Donatello looked a little disappointed.

"Yeah, well, good luck on that—Splinter tried to keep those two off each other's backs for years with no luck.  I think part of them needs it."

"Well, that's the part I've got a plan for."

"Can we place bets on this?"

"No, Michael, there will be no betting."

"Aw, come on.  It'll be fun."

"There's no gamble; I made a promise and I intend to keep it.  Even if it kills me."


	3. A Conversation & a Movie

Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  

Chapter 3: Conversation & a Movie 

**Raphael:**

I shut the TV off.  Amazing.  I think we got every single channel on the planet and there still wasn't anything good on.  I didn't feel like playing video games or listening to the radio either.  I felt like blowing off some steam, but I wasn't sure if it was okay for me to leave the room yet.  I glanced out the window; it was pouring rain.  That didn't exactly make me want to run outside; not that it would have stopped me if I'd really wanted to either.

Something was bothering me, but I wasn't sure what it was.  I felt like I wanted to go say something to Athena, but I couldn't think of anything to say.  I knew she was upset again about practice.  I couldn't really apologize for that; we just sucked.  It was frustrating.  There wasn't really anything else to say about that.  I knew I could probably put in more effort than I did, but sometimes it just seemed like she was asking the impossible.

Add Leo into everything I was feeling anyway and it wasn't pretty.  I couldn't help the fact that just looking at him lately made me want to smash his face in.  Splinter wouldn't have liked that.  He wouldn't have liked a lot of things about me now.

I didn't want to spend any more time on that train of thought, and seeing as I'd never been one to follow the rules, why start now?  Fuck it.

Of course, as luck would have it, Athena was heading down the hallway just as I stepped out of my room.  I tried to avoid eye contact, you know that whole dog principle—"if I don't look at you, you can't see me."  Seeing as neither of us was a dog, it didn't really work.

"Hi Raph."

"Hey."

"Heading out?"  I couldn't tell from her expression if she approved or not.

"That depends."

"On…?"

"Whether or not my sentence is up."

"Oh, that.  No, you can do whatever you want.  You usually do anyway, don't you?"  Again I couldn't really tell if she was being sarcastic or not, but it sounded just all too familiar.  Of course, being me, I couldn't let it slide.

"Careful Athena, you're starting to sound a little like Leo.  And that's not a good thing."

"Maybe it's not a bad thing either."

"Trust me, it is."

"You shouldn't be so hard on him."

"Me?!?"

"Yes, you."

"That's totally not even fair!  You have no idea--"  

"Well, you know what, I'm getting tired of the 'I have no idea' excuse—so why don't you explain it to me?"  

"Say what?"  That definitely wasn't the turn I expected the conversation to take.

"You said you're bored, I've got some time and a burning desire to know your side of the history between you two, so indulge me."

"You want me to explain Leo and me to you?"

"Absolutely."

"Right now?"

"No time like the present."

The look in her eye told me she was serious.  She wanted me to explain my relationship with Leo, something that I usually considered beyond words, much less explanation.

"I guess, but I don't know how much you're gonna get out of it."

"Try me."

"Your place or mine?"  I gave her a grin.  She just cocked an eyebrow and gave me that "don't mess with me" look.

"Mine."

"Lead the way…"

***********************************************************

**Athena:**

Raphael was one of those people who, despite spending a lot of time alone thinking, really didn't have much of a clue what he felt or thought about anything.  At least not so much as he could put into words.  He was right; I don't know how much I got out of his half-assed explanation, but I wasn't done yet by any means.

He'd become bored with the conversation about 5 minutes into it and had turned my TV on.  I didn't care; the distraction actually seemed to help him.  It was a topic with which he was obviously not comfortable.  He'd told me things that I pretty much already knew: Leonardo was the favored son, the golden child, while he was the screw-up, and how they were just opposites in every way, and Leonardo never left him alone, and always butted into his business.  Obviously, they were the rather dysfunctional part of their little family, but what family is really complete without that?

Raphael was attempting to distract himself with some lack-of-plot action movie on TV, but I was determined to get more answers out of him.  

"Why does it make you mad when Leonardo asks you where you've been?"

"Hey, I said I'd explain things to you best I could.  I didn't come in here for family counseling."

"Just answer the question."

He turned away from the screen and looked me straight in the eye which, to be honest, was something he rarely did with me.  I was taken aback for a second, and I realized he was really thinking about what he was going to say to me, if anything at all.  He turned back to the screen and picked up the remote.  I sighed inwardly and we sat in silence for what felt like an eternity.

Suddenly he turned the TV off and faced me.

"You and I both know this shit's really not your business.  Now before you say anything, let me explain.  Leo and I are what we are; we act how we act.  I really don't think there's anything you can do to change that.  Splinter tried for years with no luck."

He paused, taking a deep breath.  I knew he didn't want me to respond yet, so I just sat there ready to listen.

"Now, I appreciate everything you're trying to do here with us.  I'm aware that it's a big honor to get the opportunity to learn what you know, and I know you had to pull some strings to make that happen.  We all know that, and we appreciate it.  But I think sometimes you expect too much from us.  Somebody fucked with us and trust me, we're still recovering from that, we lost our sensei, and now we're halfway across the globe trying to do shit we never even thought we could do.  That's a lot to swallow, Athena.  I know it's not your fault or even really you're problem, I'm just telling you.  The thing is I don't know why I'm telling you, because I know you know all of this.  I can see it in your eyes.  I know that you want the best for us.  That's cool, and you've done a lot for us already—you and your sisters.  Just understand that, and I'm not trying to be mean or anything, most of the time I don't know what the fuck I'm doing here, or with my life at all.  I guess with Splinter I at least held on to this false sense of purpose and now he's gone and I just don't know what the hell I'm here for."

He paused again, this time looking out the window.

"You know what really gets me?  I know Leo's feeling the same way.  He's so fucking lost I'm surprised he can still find his way to the shitter when he's gotta go.  Yet there he is every day in practice still pulling the "I'm the good son" routine, and there ain't nobody around that gives a shit anymore.  He can't just come out and say he doesn't know what he's doing.  I mean, you've seen him, I know you have.  He sucks just like the rest of us, but you'd never know it from how he acts.  He's still trying to tell us what to do, still trying to be the leader.  Our fearless fuckin' leader.  It's bullshit."

I sat there, taking in everything he'd said.  I'm sure he didn't know it, but he just told me everything I wanted to know, and maybe more.  It only confirmed what I'd been thinking since my epiphany in the kitchen earlier.  Something had to give.  I looked up to find him staring at me, apparently waiting for some kind of response.

"I don't know what to say."

"Me neither."

"Well, you just did a pretty good job."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Don't apologize; I appreciate your honesty."

He looked out the window again; the rain was still coming down, sheeting across the glass.  He ran his finger along the path of it for a moment before turning back to me.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"You gonna have this conversation with Leo?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you want to hear his side?"

"Maybe.  Why?"

"Just wondering.  Splinter would always have a talk with me after Leo and I got in a fight.  I don't think he hardly ever talked to Leo about it."

"Why do you think that was?"

"Honestly, I don't know.  I guess I just figure it's because he assumed I started it and it was my fault, and therefore my problem to fix.  I wasn't really kidding about the 'good son/bad son' thing."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not having this conversation with you because I think you're the problem, Raph.  I just wanted to hear your side of things."

"Well, you got it."

"Thanks."

"Heh.  Don't mention it."

**Raphael:**

"Hey Raph?"

"Yeah?"  I felt drained; I didn't want to answer any more questions, but I didn't want to be rude either.

"Are you done talking about this?"

"Definitely."  Thank god.

"Good; one of my favorite movies is coming on next."

"You mean you actually watch TV?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well I didn't know where you'd fit that into your wonder woman schedule."

"Believe it or not, I did actually have some time to myself before you guys came along."

"Sorry."

"Don't be.  I don't mind."

"So what movie is it?"

"Sliding Doors."

"Chick flick."

"That's rude; don't say that.  I bet you haven't even seen it!"

"Of course I haven't; it's a chick flick."

"You know you might actually like it if you gave it a shot."

"Are you asking me to stay and watch it with you?"

"Sure."

"Who's in it?"

"Gwyneth Paltrow."

"Gwyneth, huh?"

"Is she enough to make you stay?"

"Depends.  Do I get to see anything?"

"God you can be such a pig!"

"Well, do I?"

"I don't know; I can't remember!  Are you gonna stay or not?"

"Throw some popcorn into the deal and I'll stay, but next time I pick the movie."

"Oh, we'll be doing this again?"

"If I survive this?  Definitely."

She smiled broadly, and I realized that was the first time I'd seen her do that in a while.  It made me feel bad, and apparently it showed on my face.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She frowned at me--so much for the smile.

"So how about that popcorn?"

"I'm all over it."

"Well that should be interesting…"

"Raphael, unless you want a lap full of popcorn, I'd knock it off if I were you."

"Yes, but thank god you're not."

"Amen to that!"

**********************************

Several hours later… 

"I swear I can't watch any more of this, Athena!  I'm gonna fall asleep!"

"No, you're going to miss the best part!"

"I doubt that very much."

"Oh, come on, I sat all the way through your movie."

"Yeah, that's 'cuz it was good!"

"You suck."

"You realize people are probably wondering where we are and why we haven't shown our faces all day."

"Are you worried about it?"

"No."

"You're such a bad liar."

"Whatever."

"Well, if you're going go, and if you're staying, stay because you're interrupting the movie."

"Fine."

"So you're staying?"

"As long as you don't mind me crashing right here."

"Jerk.  I'm telling you…you're going to miss the best part…"

"Is there tits or ass involved?"

"Maybe…"

"Oh, alright, I'll watch it."

"You are such a perv, Raphael."

"I know, I know."


	4. Boiling Point

Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission. 

Chapter 4: Boiling Point 

**Leonardo:**

I'd tried to catch Athena later on in the afternoon to apologize, but she was nowhere to be found and I didn't want to disturb her in her room if that's where she was hiding out.  I'd acted like an ass and I knew it.  I needed to be honest with her.  I was frustrated and I felt helpless, and I absolutely hated feeling that way.  Practice used to be something I loved, something that gave me a sense of purpose and being.  Now it just reminded me of everything I'd lost recently, and how things would never be the same.  It wasn't the change that bothered me really, I guess.  Everything changes, that's a given.  What bothered me was just how empty I felt now.

I figured I'd try to catch her early, before practice.  I'd been up since before dawn and I already got a run in.  I checked the training room, but she wasn't there yet.  She wasn't in the kitchen having breakfast either.  As much as I didn't want to disturb her in her room, it was obvious that was what I needed to do if I wanted to talk with her before practice started.

I walked down the hall past the other sisters' doors.  Athena's room was at the end of the hall, across from Raphael's.  As I got about halfway down the hall, the door of her room slid open, to my relief.  At least now I wouldn't feel like I was bothering her.

Raphael walked through the doorway, rubbing his eyes.  He'd obviously just woken up.  He didn't see me and went straight into his room.  Athena's door slid shut, and then his, and I stood there, dumbfounded.

I knew I shouldn't jump to conclusions, and what business of mine was it anyway?  Yet I could feel my blood pressure rise.  I was furious.

I changed my mind about talking with Athena and went to my room instead.  I sat on the bed, trying to control my emotions—something that, until recently, I had been very good at.  Twenty more minutes until I needed to be downstairs for practice--I had to pull myself together; I couldn't let it show.

**Raphael:**

I decided on a quick shower before practice.  I needed to wake up and clear my head.  I had only been joking when I said I would crash in her room, but apparently I had and she let me.  I could hear the water running in her bathroom when I woke up and I slipped out without saying anything.  I didn't really have anything to say anyway.  It felt weird waking up in her room.

I toweled off and threw on our standard workout gear.  It was still strange to have to worry about clothes and pick out things to wear.  We all regarded it as a pain in the ass, except for maybe Mikey.  I think he liked getting to wear real clothes; it wasn't unusual for him to change two or three times a day.

Our practice clothes were light and loose-fitting with plenty of stretch so they weren't constricting to us as we moved.  By the end of a full practice they were always wet and I hated the way the fabric clung to you.  At least we didn't have to wear shoes during practice.

Michaelangelo was coming out of his room just as I was walking down the hall.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"So how was your nice run in the rain yesterday?"  I couldn't resist rubbing that in.  They'd had to run and they hadn't even done anything wrong.

"Swell; how was spending the afternoon in your room?"  Mike grinned at me as we stepped into the lift.

"Fine."

"Did you apologize to Athena?"

"We talked."

"You talked?"

"Yeah, then we watched movies."

"I think I missed something."

"Me too."

"I thought she was mad at you?"

"Well, she was."

"But she's not anymore?"

"Apparently not."

"What did you tell her?"

"Stuff."

The doors slid open and we walked towards the training room.  A bad feeling was developing in the pit of my stomach, but I wasn't sure why.

"What kind of stuff?"

"Leo and I, basically."

"Oh."

We walked into the training room.  Athena and Donatello were already there and warming up.

"I was starting to wonder if you guys were coming."

I hadn't realized we were late, but Athena had a thing about being punctual.

"Sorry, I thought we were on time."

"Did you see Leonardo up there?"

"No."

"Well, he's never late, I'm going to go see if he overslept or something."

Just then Leo walked in.  He did _not_ look happy.

**Athena:**

Something was definitely wrong with Leo, but I'd have to tackle that later.  Now was not the time.

"Alright, why don't you three join us in warm-ups and then we'll begin."

I could feel the tension in the room already.  It didn't bode well for a good practice.  I supposed that was too much to ask for anyway.

We started going over basics again.  God knows we weren't ready to move on to anything else.  We went over the movements, time and time again.  They would go through the motions, but it was the other part of the technique that always stalled them.  Your mind had to make the movement as much as your arm or leg, and that was the part that proved difficult for them, being that their minds were usually elsewhere.

Donatello was thinking about the cloaking system that kept our home hidden.  He basically devoured anything he could read about our technology since he got here.  Michaelangelo was thinking back to a practice session they'd had many years ago when they were trying to master something new, wondering why this was so much harder now.  Raphael was worrying about spending the night in my room and whether that was really okay or not, and Leonardo was just angry.  I could have pried a little farther to find out why, but I was uncomfortable picking their brains that much without their knowledge.

**Leonardo:**

I was well aware of the fact that I was just going through the motions.  Normally that would have bothered me but today I didn't care.  Luckily Raphael was farthest away from me as we were lined up.  I was having trouble fighting the urge to attack him as it was.

Why had he been in her room?  Was something really going on between them?  It didn't seem that way, but he had obviously spent the night with her.  I kept telling myself that it was innocent, but _I_ wasn't even buying it.  What legitimate reason would he possibly have for sleeping in her room other than the one I didn't want to think about?

Even if they'd screwed each other's brains out, the fact still remained that it wasn't my business.  So why was I getting so upset about this?  What difference did it make?

The doors of the training room slid open and Iris walked in.

"Good morning, everyone.  Athena, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Rhea is calling and she wants to speak with you."

"I'll be right there."

Iris left and Athena turned to us.

"This is earlier than I expected her to call, but that's okay.  This shouldn't take too long.  While I'm gone why don't you rotate pairs and keep practicing what we just worked on."

She turned and left and we all just stood there for a minute.  It was uncomfortable whenever the four of us were in a room by ourselves these days.  

Michaelangelo spoke first.

"Well, let's get started, I guess."

We turned and paired with the person standing beside us.  Donatello and I moved to the other end of the room to practice.  He actually had a few good kicks while we practiced, and I wished Athena had been there to see them.  I, on the other hand, was doing worse than usual, which was saying something.  Why was it so damn hard for me?

We swapped partners and Michaelangelo and I paired up.  He'd walked straight over to me; he knew Raphael and I paired up was not a good thing.

Michaelangelo was definitely making the best progress of all of us.  I almost felt a twinge of jealousy, but I was happy one of us was getting it.  He could definitely get the most power in his movements with this method, which was something that used to be a weakness of his.  His speed was always his best asset, not his physical strength.  Now he seemed able to have both.

Athena did not return as I had hoped before we paired off again.

I faced Raphael and found myself almost unable to control the sudden wave of anger that hit me.  He must have seen it in my eyes.

"What's your problem?"

"Nothing."

"Look, I don't want to do this any more than you, so let's just get it over with, okay?  I'm tired."

I tried to bite my tongue, but the words just came out too quickly.

"Well, that's what happens when you don't sleep in your own bed."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"  

I could tell from the look on his face that he knew exactly what I was talking about; he never had been a good liar.

"You know."  

I could see the struggle in his eyes.  He didn't know whether to continue to play dumb or just come out with it.

"What the hell do you know about it?"

"I saw you leave her room this morning."

"What are you, spying on people now?"

"I was going to talk to her."

"Yeah, well I guess I beat ya to it."

I swung at him.  I have no idea why, but I did it.  He obviously hadn't been expecting it, and I caught him right square in the jaw.  He recovered quickly though and we took our stances, ready to go.

"Knock it off, you two!  Athena comes back and finds you two fighting again and you're dead meat!"

"Stay out of it, Mikey!"  Raphael never did like it when anyone else got involved in our arguments.

"Leo's just having a little jealous fit."

"Why the hell would I be jealous of you?"

"Please, it's so fuckin' obvious!  You're pissed 'cause you're not the golden boy anymore.  You suck as bad as the rest of us, maybe more.  And now you can't go cry to teacher about it because she's already picked a favorite, and it ain't you!

**Raphael:**

I knew I probably took it too far with that last comment, but shit, he pissed me off.  I saw the anger flash in his eyes right before he came at me.  I was ready for him this time.

We struggled in a dead lock for a minute before I threw him to the ground.  I got a couple of good punches in before he flipped me off him.  I should have seen that one coming, but I didn't.

He was back at me again before I even thought he had time to get up off the floor.  I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen him like this.  The nice thing about him being this mad was that he didn't think real clearly because he wasn't used to the force of his own emotions.  That gave me the advantage for once.

I blocked his roundhouse and flipped him on his ass.  He looked surprised for a second, but came right back at me again.  He wrestled me to the floor, but I quickly got myself back on top.  I punched him in the face again and he grabbed me by the neck.  I couldn't remember him ever trying to choke me before.  I guess I must've hit a nerve with that last comment.  I grabbed him by the shirt and rolled us, ending up on the bottom and I flipped him up over my head.  Tsk, tsk—he should've expected that.

**Donatello:**

Leonardo hit the floor hard.  It was the kind of move we used to think nothing of because our shells protected us, but I winced now.  That had to hurt.  They were wiping the floor with each other.  Michaelangelo and I just stood back and watched, having years of practice at it.

Leonardo landed a great punch into Raph's solar plexus, another move that we'd previously been impervious to.  To Raph's credit, he recovered quickly, and returned the favor with a kick to Leo's head.  How he didn't block that, I don't know.  It was the sloppiest fight I'd ever seen them have; Raph seemed to be taking the upper hand though.

Raph was already bleeding from the corner of his mouth.  Leo had a nasty looking cut over his eye, and still they went on.  I started to wonder if we should do something about it.  Apparently Mike was reading my mind.

"You think they've had enough yet?"

"I don't know."

"Athena's gonna have kittens when she sees them."

"Yep."

Just then Raph threw Leo into the wall.

"She'll probably be mad at us for not breaking them up."

"Probably; it's their fight though."

"Yeah."

"Did Raph really sleep in her room?"

"Apparently.  He told me on the way down here that they talked and watched movies last night.  I guess he forgot to mention that he spent the night with her."

"You think anything happened?"

The distinct dull thump of skin on bone meeting skin on bone told us that Leo's last two punches had made direct connections.

"I doubt it."

"Me too."

"Which begs the question, why the hell are they doing this?"

"I'm sure they don't even know anymore."

"Master Splinter would have been pissed."

"Yep."

Just then, Athena walked in.  It took her a split second to assess the situation and then it was like a bomb dropped, only she was the bomb.

It's hard to describe what their fighting style is like.  It's so unbelievably deadly, and yet absolutely beautiful to watch, like a dance or something.  She had them apart in the blink of an eye, grabbing the fronts of their shirts and holding them out at arms length.  She didn't say anything right away, just kept looking from one to the other.

"Well aren't you two a pair."

She let go of their shirts and pushed, setting them both on their asses.

"You are unbelievable.  Really.  Un-fucking-believable.  I leave you alone for a minute and you're all over each other.  And you two--"

I felt my stomach sink as she addressed Mike and I.

"—what the hell are you doing just standing there letting them beat each other into pulp!  Look at them!  These are your brothers, for Christ's sake!"

I did look at them.  They looked terrible.  They'd look even worse tomorrow.  It wasn't our fault.  We didn't beat them up.  I figured this wasn't the best time to make that point thought.

"I want you two to go downstairs and clean yourselves up in the med lab.  I'll send Panaceia down to check on you.  When you're finished, go to your rooms.  Michaelangelo and Donatello, that's where I want you now."

"We don't have to run today?"

Leave it to Mikey not to understand that this was NOT the time for jokes.

"No, I don't want you to run.  I want you to go upstairs and pack your things.  All of you." 


	5. Decisions, Decisions

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

Chapter 5: Decisions, Decisions 

**Iris:**

I couldn't believe what Athena was telling me. 

"You're absolutely sure about this?"

"Yes."

"You've discussed it with Rhea, then?"

"Yes, I just spoke with her earlier and she agreed."

"Oh, so you made this decision before the fight."

"Absolutely.  I wouldn't decide something this important just based on their beating each other up."

"Well, I can't say it's what I would do, but I completely agree that _something_ had to be done.  It's obvious that this wasn't working for them."

"Exactly."

I couldn't believe her resolve.  It was so unlike her.

"So, you've told them to pack?"

"Yeah, Michaelangelo and Donatello are supposed to be upstairs taking care of that right now, and Raphael and Leonardo will be doing the same as soon as they're patched up."

"How bad was the damage?"

"They bloodied each other up pretty well, but nothing serious I don't think.  Panaceia will let me know if there is."

"I just can't really imagine…"

"What?"

"Well, what if two of us fought like that?"

"I don't want to imagine that.  There'd be nothing left but pieces if we turned on each other."

I nodded in agreement.  It made me sad how they didn't appreciate each other.  I wondered if they ever did, really.

"So…do you even know where you're sending them yet?"

"Pretty much; Rhea said everything would be all set up for tomorrow morning."

"You're using the mobile station, then?"

"Four of them."

"You're really serious, you're going to split them up?"

"Yep, for as long as it takes."

"You realize that could be a long time."

"Yep."

"You're either really brilliant, or totally evil, you know that?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Do they know you're splitting them up?"

"Not yet."

"Are you planning on telling them before they get where they're going?"

"No."

"You're leaning towards really evil right now."

"I know."

"You're still angry at them."

"Bullshit, actually, but it doesn't really make a difference.  Part of the gamble on this working or not depends on them not being able to see or communicate with each other."

"You've got some major balls, Athena.  I just hope this doesn't backfire on you."

"Well I guess that makes two of us."

"Psyche will be upset that we're losing our guests."

"Well, _they _can't see each other, but we can visit them whenever."

"Great, I can just predict who's never going to be around when we need her."

"Yeah, I guess you can pretty much count her out of things for a while.  She's grown rather attached to them."

"Not if I have anything to say about it, of course.  Anyway, so where are you sending them?"

"Well, let's see…Michaelangelo will be in Australia…someplace cut off from civilization; I don't know just where yet.  Leonardo's going to a small village in Mexico, Raphael's going to the least populated spot that I can find in Japan, and Donatello's going to be set up in South Africa—somewhere rural."

"So contact of any kind will be minimal anyway, unless it's with us?"

"Exactly."

"And I'm sure you have your reasons for that too."

"Of course."

"Well, I guess you've got it all figured out then."

"The planes are leaving at 7."

"Aren't you going to miss them?"

"Honestly?  I'm so completely pissed at them and I can still tell you that I'm going to miss them so much that it already hurts…


	6. Michaelangelo

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

Chapter 6: Michaelangelo 

**_-4 Months Later-_**

**Michaelangelo:**

I pulled out my journal for the second time.  It was definitely one of those days.  I took my favorite seat by the window and looked out across the landscape.  I never actually thought I'd go anywhere as far as Australia, and it was amazing.  I still didn't have Athena convinced that it was okay for me to have a koala or kangaroo as a pet, but I was working on it.  I chewed on the pen cap for a minute to decide what it was that I wanted to write.

July 27 (afternoon) - 

_I know I already wrote once today, but Psyche said I should write in this whenever I feel like it and I guess I just feel like it.  I realized about an hour ago as I was eating my lunch that it's been almost a year since we lost Splinter.  Some days it makes me crazy to think about how much things have changed.  Other times I wonder how I would have survived if they hadn't.  Regardless, I still miss him every day._

_Athena just called a little while ago to check in on me.  She said everyone else is doing fine.  I guess I'll have to just take her word for it.  I started to miss them again when I got off the phone with her.  Sometimes I wonder where they are and what they're doing.  We've never been apart this long.  I wish I could even just call them to say hello, but Athena's really strict about the "no contact" thing.  I hope she'll get a chance to stop by again soon.  It gets pretty lonely here._

_Maybe Psyche will come visit again soon.  She's the coolest, really.  This journal was one of the best presents anyone's ever gotten me.  She's one of the only people who's ever really appreciated my love for writing.  At first I thought keeping a journal was kind of stupid, but here I am, and for the second time today, no less.  I think that it's actually kind of therapeutic for me.  I can't always get out what I want to say when I'm talking with Athena or Psyche, but I don't seem to have a problem if there's a pen in my hand._

_I had another one of my nightmares last night.  I don't know what just made me remember that.  We were back at the farmhouse.  Splinter was there.  April and Casey were there, and Shadow.  God, I miss that kid.  I feel like it's been a lifetime since I last saw her.  She'll be so big the next time I see her – whenever that is.  Anyway, we were back at the farm, and everything was great.  It was just like it used to be.  I was busy making breakfast for everyone, but I kept hearing this noise from the basement.  I went down and opened the door and I stepped into another place.  There was computer equipment and monitors everywhere.  The lights were so bright that it hurt my eyes.  People in white coats were walking all around the place and talking, but no one seemed to notice me.  A few of them were lined up in front of a wall of glass that looked into another room.  I looked to see what they were looking at.  I wished I didn't.  Leonardo was lying on a table.  They had him all strapped down and they were sticking needles in his arm.  He was trying to fight, but it was no use.  I tried to break the glass, but I couldn't.  I yelled to him, but no sound came out.  I tried to find another way into the room, but there wasn't a door anywhere except the one I had come in through.  I opened the door expecting to go back up the basement stairs, but instead I was somewhere else entirely.  I was in some strange building, and yet something about it was oddly familiar.  I ran and ran; I could hear Leo screaming.  I tried to get to him, but none of the doors worked.  Then the men with the guns came down the hallway after me.  I couldn't move fast enough; they shot me.  I woke up screaming._

_I guess it's not a huge mystery why I don't sleep too well these days.  Psyche said that I should tell Athena about my nightmares.  She said she'd know how to get rid of them.  That would be good, I guess, but on the other hand I don't really want to stop them.  I know what I'm dreaming about.  I guess I'm waiting for some sort of clue, hoping my dreams will tell me something that my conscious mind can't, or won't, remember.  _

_I took a good look at myself in the mirror before I got dressed today.  Most of the time I think I'm still expecting to see a shell there.  But there isn't.  I guess I still mostly look the same.  It's strange to be that much closer to being human, and yet you still know you're a freak of nature.  Panaceia says I'm probably not done growing yet either.  I'm already up to 5'7"--yet another thing that adds to my general awkward clumsiness these days.  I wonder how tall everyone else is now.  I wonder how different they'll look when I see them again.  Speaking of seeing them again, I hope it's going to be sooner rather than later…_


	7. Leonardo

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

Chapter 7: Leonardo 

**Leonardo:**

A warm wind swept across the rooftop; it smelled slightly sweet and I remembered again how much I loved this place.  If anyone had actually asked me where I wanted to be sent for my 'exile', I'm sure I wouldn't have chosen rural Mexico.  Further proof, I guess, that there are people out there who know me better than I know myself, which is not an easy thing for me to admit.

I finished up my tai chi and prepared to meditate.  I had tried to continue with my training here, but it just didn't work.  Athena suggested taking a break from it for a while, so I did.  I didn't even practice my ninjutsu much anymore.  At first I'd felt really guilty about it, but once I'd gotten over that it was actually really liberating not to train every day.  I never thought I'd say that.  I wondered if Splinter would be disappointed in me.

I breathed deep and tried to clear my mind, which was apparently not going to be an easy task today.  My thoughts were just racing, not about anything in particular really, but it was enough to be distracting.  It almost seemed that the more I meditated, the more I had on my mind.  I recently found myself contemplating things I'd never really thought about before everything happened.

I had always loved being a ninja.  I loved absolutely everything about it—the discipline, the purpose, the challenge, the all-consuming nature of it.  Now I wasn't even practicing anymore, and I thought that would leave me with a huge void, only it didn't.  Sure it felt strange because I was out of a routine that I'd had practically my whole life, but other than that it felt…right.  That left me feeling very confused.  When you've lived your whole life one way and suddenly everything you took for granted is pulled away from you, it does things to you.  Things I didn't really expect.

It had been incredibly frustrating to keep trying and failing with Athena's technique.  I wasn't used to that.  For the first time I couldn't make my body do what I wanted.  For the first time I couldn't reach down inside myself and focus my energy enough to master something.  That scared the hell out of me.  Add that on top of the loss of Splinter, and the huge change in my own body, and I was just coming from a really bad place.  I couldn't control myself the way I used to.

At first when Athena had dropped me off here and explained what was happening, I was furious.  She barely knew us; she had no right to do something like that to us.  With everything we'd been through, we needed to be together.  She'd called every day in the beginning, but I wouldn't talk to her.  She finally stopped calling, and I finally accepted that she'd made a good decision—at least for me.  I needed that time to myself to accept everything.  I needed to not worry about everyone else and what they were doing and how they were doing.  I only worried about what _I_ felt and what _I_ needed.  I think that was the first time in my whole life that I'd ever done that.

The first time Athena stopped by to check in on me, I think she was expecting me to still be angry with her.  I wasn't though.  She stayed for a few days and we had a lot of good conversations, and it was lonely when she left.  It seems like every time I get used to the solitude she or Panaceia shows up and throws everything off.  I suppose I need to work on my ability to adapt.

When I spoke to Athena earlier, she said she'd be stopping by again soon.  She said everyone is well, but she still won't say where they are.  They could be just down the street or halfway across the globe for all I know, but I've stopped arguing with her about it.  She's forcing me to trust her, like it or not.  So far she seems to know what she's doing though, which is encouraging.  At the same time, I can't help worrying about the fact that a 16 year-old is in charge of my brothers and me.  

I sighed and shook my head.  I was letting my thoughts run away with me again.  Another deep breath and a long exhale, it was time to focus…


	8. Donatello

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

Chapter 8: Donatello 

**Donatello:**

I was just about to clean my dishes from breakfast when I heard the knock on the door.  It made me jump, but there was little question in my mind as to who was on the other side of it.  Only two people had been here in four months: Athena and Panaceia.  Actually, Psyche had stopped in with Panaceia once, but I doubted very much that this was she.

I opened the door to Panaceia who smiled back at me.

"Hello again, sorry about the unannounced visit."

"Actually, I'm starting to think that's the only kind of visit that you and Athena make."

The right corner of her mouth twisted into a half smile and I could tell that she wasn't sure if I was joking with her or not.  I decided to leave her wondering, and she changed the subject as she came in and took off her jacket.

"So how is everything?"

"Everything is good."

"Good; and you're feeling alright?"

"I feel great."

"Good."

She looked around the place and smiled.

"I see you're still keeping everything immaculate."

"Yeah, well, no computer.  I have to do something with all of that extra time."

"Athena says you're still training on your own."

"Some.  It's hard when she's not right there to instruct me, but I manage."

"Well, I think that's great."

She paused and looked at me, which always made me uncomfortable with her.  Apparently she noticed and looked away.

"Well, I didn't come to intrude or spy on you.  I just came to run a couple of tests and make sure everything's okay."

"You're not intruding, it's no problem.  So, where do you want me then?"

I realized after it left my mouth how that sounded, but I ignored it and hoped she didn't notice.

"Um, living room's fine.  You can just lay down on the couch."

"Okay."

I still wasn't comfortable playing the patient, but Panaceia usually made it pretty quick and painless.  These days it was the only chance I got to talk with her anyway.  I settled myself on the couch while she organized her things on the table.

"So how are things at the house?"

"Oh, the usual.  Iris walks around like she's carrying the world on her shoulders while Psyche acts as though she didn't have a care in the world.  Neme has been in one of her moods ever since she came back from her last assignment, and Athena is usually gone visiting one of you, and even when she is home she might as well not be because her mind is always elsewhere."

"And what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine."

She started poking and prodding at me like she usually did, and it was essential for me to keep talking to her through that to distract myself.  Not that her touching me bothered me, but I wasn't exactly used to someone putting their hands all over me—especially not an intelligent, beautiful woman.

"So, I don't suppose you'll tell me anyway, but do you have any idea when Athena's going to have us come back to the house?  Or is our sentence not up yet?"

"It was never her intention for this to be any kind of punishment, Donatello."

"I know that, I'm just joking.  She wouldn't let me have a computer though, and that is a punishment for me."

She laughed a little.  God, she had a beautiful smile.

"Well, I don't know what her plan is right now.  I think she's just waiting until the time is right to bring you back together."

"Oh."

"Why?  Are you getting impatient?"

"Impatient?  No."

"Do you not like it here?"

"Actually, I love it here.  I like having a whole house to myself.  Like I said, I'm not crazy about not having a computer, but that's probably been a good thing.  I've had time to do lots of other things instead."

"Don't you miss your brothers?"

I thought about that one for a minute.  When Athena had first sent us away, I don't think I could have been happier.  Even Mikey had started to get on my nerves.  I just wanted to be left alone entirely.  I suppose I still wanted to be alone for the most part, and yet…

"Sometimes I miss them."

"Only sometimes?"  She arched an eyebrow at me.

"Only sometimes."

"And the rest of the time?"

"The rest of the time I just want to stay here.  By myself."

"So you're hoping she won't bring you back anytime soon?"

"I guess, well, I don't know.  No, I wouldn't mind if she brought us back now—as long as I still had my own space to be alone when I wanted."

"You like your privacy."

"Always have, I just never really had it before."

"Well, I will leave you to it then.  I think I'm all done here."

She started to collect her things from the table and put them back in the case.  I thought maybe she'd taken that last comment as a suggestion that I wanted her to leave.

"I didn't mean that I wanted you to go."

"I know, but I'm finished anyway."

"Well, why don't you stay for lunch?"

"Lunch would be great, thank you."

That smile was going to be the death of me…


	9. Raphael

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

Chapter 9: Raphael 

**Raphael:**

I moved through the kata like it was second nature, which wasn't too far from the truth.  I was pretty sure at this point that I could do it in my sleep.  I'd shown Athena the progress I'd made last time she came by, but she still refused to teach me any more of the technique.  I'm sure she has her reasons, not the least of which is trying to keep us all on an even level until we go back.

I thought about my brothers, not for the first time that day.  I wondered if they had succeeded in mastering the first steps of the technique like I had.  I was pretty sure that Leo probably had.

I thought about my brothers often, but I would be lying if I said I really missed them.  For about as long as I could remember, all I wanted was to be left alone.  Athena gave me that.  The last four months had been some of the best of my life.  I had no one to answer to, no one checking up on me, judging me.  It was just me, and occasionally Athena.  She always seemed to know exactly when I wanted her company, and exactly when it was time to leave.  I loved that about her.  I guess I loved a lot of things about her, really.  It wasn't a romantic love though, at first I thought it was, but I'd realized as time went on that I loved her in a different way, one that I hadn't recognized at first—I loved her like family, like a sister.  Which wasn't to say that I didn't find her attractive, because I did.  She was gorgeous, but I didn't want her to be anything more than exactly what she already was to me—a very good friend.

I ended my session because I suddenly sensed that I needed to be elsewhere.  I jumped down to the second floor balcony and went back inside the house.  Sure enough, I could hear the soft tapping on the door.  I ran down the stairs and opened the door for her.

"Good morning."

"Morning, Raph.  Sorry about interrupting your workout."

"I was just about done anyway.  So how come you're here so early?"

"I've got a long day ahead of me.  Lots of people to see."

I looked at Athena carefully.  Something in the pit of my stomach told me that this was the visit I'd been dreading.

"Lots of people to see, huh?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes met mine and I could tell she was feeling me out.  At first I hated when she did that, but now I was pretty used to it.  I knew she wasn't actually reading my mind, just getting an idea of what I was feeling.

"Look, I know you know why I'm here, so why don't we just go sit down and talk about it?"

"Fine, but I don't think I have much to say on this."

We stood there looking at each other for a minute, but no one made a move to go sit down.

"How about some tea, Raph?"

"Sure if you're making it, because you know I suck at it."

"Honestly, I don't know how you've kept yourself fed all this time.  You are so clueless in the kitchen."

"Hey, I've never needed to cook for myself before.  I've always had Mike."

"Yeah, I think he's missed not having other people to cook for."

It was strange to have her say anything about one of my brothers.  She would never tell me anything before, not that I really asked either.

She was shuffling around my kitchen, getting out cups and warming up the water.  I just wanted to get the suspense over with now that I knew for sure why she was here.

"So, when do we go back?"

"I'm not here to tell you when you have to go back, Raphael."

"Aren't you?"

"I'm only here to get you thinking about it.  I won't force you to come back.  If you want to stay here for the rest of your life, you can certainly do that.  I'm here to invite you back, when you're ready."

I thought about what she just said.  I had never even considered that staying here was an option.  Now that she was offering it to me though…

"So I don't have to leave if I don't want to?"

"No, you don't have to leave."

"I can stay here as long as I want?"

"As long as you want."

"What about training?"

"Well, I guess that's the catch."

Why did there always have to be a catch?

"How so?"

"If you want to continue your training, you have to come back."

Yep, that was definitely a catch.

"Why?"

"Because—I can't train you all individually.  There aren't four of me.  I have to have you all together to train you.  Besides, it's beneficial to have other people around you with whom you can practice because you're all at the same level."

I knew what she was saying was true, but it didn't make me resent it any less.

"Fine then, let's go back to the original question—when do I have to go back?"

"Training will start up again in two weeks.  Anyone who wants to get in on it needs to be there then, anyone who doesn't can stay where they are.  I just can't train them."

She handed me a teacup and motioned me to move to the living room.  I couldn't believe she was doing this to me.  I knew that she knew I didn't want to go back yet.

I flopped myself down on the sofa while she settled into the armchair.

"You know I'm not ready to be with them again."

"I'm aware of how you feel about them."

"No, it's not how I feel about _them_, it's how I feel about _being_ with them.  I mean, they're my brothers, the only family I have left.  It's just that…"

"You've changed."

"It's not even that.  I mean, I have.  But I don't think I've _really_ changed.  I think being alone has just allowed me to be who I always could've been, but never was."

"So you think that if you're with them again, you'll go back to the old Raphael."

"That's how everyone expects me to be."

"Raph, what makes you think your brothers don't feel the same way?  What makes you think they haven't gone through transformations just like you have?"

"Because they were never the screw-ups."

"Who says you were?"

"They would."

"I don't think so, Raph."

"Well I do."

"Well I don't think you're giving them enough credit."

"And maybe I think you're giving them too much."

"Okay, so what's the worst thing that's going to happen if you come back?"

"I'll go back to being the asshole."

"Raph, I hate to break it to you—but you still can be an asshole."

I looked up to see that twinkle in her eye and that half-cocked grin on her face.  Why did she have to have a sense of humor at a time like this?

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do.  And I didn't come over here to get you all wound up about this.  I just came over to tell you what's happening.  You're a big boy; you can make your own decisions."

"You're not leaving me with much of a choice here."

She set her teacup down on the table and stood up.

"Look, you've obviously got some things to think about.  You've got two weeks to make your decision.  Call me if you need anything; otherwise I'm going to leave you alone."

I nodded my head; there wasn't much left to say.  I got up and saw her to the door.  She opened it and stood in the doorway for a minute before turning around and speaking again.

"I know you think I'm not leaving you with very good options, but I want you to consider something before you decide.  Do you really think that being alone here is what "allowed" you to be who you feel you really are, or do you think maybe _you_ finally gave yourself that chance?"

She leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek.

"Think about it."

She closed the door and left me standing there, hating how she knew me so well.


	10. One More Visit

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

**Chapter 10:**

**One More Visit**

**Athena:**

Three down, one more to go.  Why did I always save him for last?  I shook that thought from my head while I made my way to the rooftop.  Funny how I hadn't knocked since the first time I'd been to visit.  I knew where he was, anyway, and I knew what he was doing.  Maybe that was why I was sneaking up on him.

I walked up the staircase from the porch to the roof just far enough to rest my arms on the edge and watch him finish his evening routine.  A little voice in my head told me that I shouldn't be spying on him, and at the same time I couldn't resist.  He was incredible to watch.  I found myself wishing again that I could have seen him at the height of his abilities, before everything changed.

The evening air was pleasantly hot, but not heavy.  The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, turning the sky into fire.  I watched him move with such power and grace across the backdrop of flame, and I knew that this was one of those moments that I would be able to recall with perfect clarity, even years later.  

Leonardo slowed his movements and then stopped.

**Leonardo:**

I sensed her behind me, but I didn't turn around right away.  I still surprised myself at how well I could always feel her presence when she was near.  She'd developed a bad habit of lurking in the shadows whenever she came to visit.  I wondered if she snuck up on my brothers too, or if it was just a game she played with me to see if she could catch me off guard.  I decided to let her know I was on to her.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Mmm…it's a beautiful sunset."

She walked the rest of the way up the stairs and crossed the roof to where I was standing.  I made an extra effort to keep my breathing steady, as it had a habit of awkwardly catching in my throat when she was close to me.  

"I can see why you like coming up here so much."

"Yeah, I practically live up here as long as the weather permits—and even sometimes when it doesn't."

She smiled and took her eyes away from mine.  Her shoulders heaved slightly as she sighed and looked out over the horizon.

"Sunsets like this make me wish I could live here forever."

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing the other day."

She turned back to face me, but with a much more serious expression.

"Would you like to stay here forever?"

Her question caught me by surprise and it took me a moment to respond.

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Because you could if you wanted to, you know."

"I thought this was only temporary."

"Or it can be that if you want it to be."

"Are you saying I have a choice?"

"There's always a choice, Leonardo."

I didn't really know what to say.  I hadn't even considered staying here.  Up until now she had never given me the impression that this was for anything more than a short while.  I wondered suddenly what had changed to make her say that.

"Do you not want us to go back?"

She appeared surprised by my question, and I knew that wasn't the reason even before she answered.

"No, that's not it at all."

"Then what is it?"

"I just don't want you to feel like you _have_ to come back if it's not what you want to do."

"And if it is what I want?"

"Then come back.  Training starts again in two weeks."

"So that's why you're here."

"Mostly."

"Have you talked with everyone else about this?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are they going back?"

"We'll have to just wait and see who's there in two weeks."

I searched her face for some clue as to my brothers' decisions, but she was hiding them well.

"Well, regardless of what they do, I'll be there.  I told you months ago that I wanted in, and I meant it."

"I know that; I'm only questioning you now because I want to know if you still mean it."

"Of course; nothing's changed."

"Oh really?"  She wore an amused look of skepticism.  "Maybe you're too close to see, but from where I'm standing, plenty has changed."

Now it was my turn to be the skeptic.  "Like what?"

"Oh, like the fact that you don't even train anymore."

"So what?  It's not that big a deal.  At first it seemed like it was, but it's really not."

"It's not, huh?  Then why do I think that your brothers would choke if I told them that?"

"Because it would be a big deal to them.  Besides, it's not as though I've quit.  I'm just taking a break because I felt one was necessary."

"That's fine; I have nothing against that.  It's good that you know what you need, but I wasn't just talking about you not training anymore."

"What else, then?"

"It's what not training has done to you."

"It hasn't done anything to me.  I told you—I'm just taking a break."

"Whatever you say, but mark my words, _they_ will notice it."

"There's nothing to notice, Athena."

"Would you like to wager on this?"

I gave her my best 'I am not enthused' look.  "Did you come here to try to get me to reconsider?"

"No."

"Good, because my decision is already made."

"Fine."

We stood in silence for a while before she spoke again.

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want you to think that I don't want you to come back.  I do."

I sensed that there was more she wanted to say, so I didn't say anything.  She walked over to the farther end of the roof and sat on the edge.  She turned to me with an expression I couldn't readily identify.

"Come sit with me."

I walked over and sat down beside her.

"I want to tell you something because I know that you will appreciate it.  You see, there's a lot that you don't know about me.  Someday you'll probably find out, but for now let's just suffice it to say that I was a different person before the four of you came into my life and turned everything upside down.  Believe me when I tell you that you were unexpected, but the effect you've had on me is even more unexpected.  Some days it scares me how quickly I've grown to love all of you and how invested I am in you.  I only want to do what's best.  Splitting you up was the hardest decision I've ever made, but I've watched the four of you over the last few months and I'm amazed by how you've grown.  I decided yesterday that it was time to bring you back together, and now I'm scared all over again that I'm making the wrong decision."

"Well, you already know that I completely disagreed with you about this in the beginning.  Now I know it was the best thing you could have done.  Through all of this, you've earned my respect, Athena, and my trust.  I can't speak for my brothers, but I'm confident that you've made the right decision."

"I hope you're right."

"Aren't I usually?"

She shoved me playfully with her elbow and I could tell she was more relaxed now that she'd said what she needed to say.  It was starting to get dark and the empty feeling in my stomach reminded me that it was time to eat.

"Do you have to leave again right away?"

"No."

"Are you hungry?"

"I could be."

"How about dinner?"

"Well, I guess that depends on what you're having."

"Whatever I can scrounge up in the mess I call my kitchen."

"Sounds appetizing."

"So you'll stay then?"

"I'll do better than that—I'll go get dinner for us."

"You don't have to do that."

"No, really, I think I do."

She stood up and held her hand out to pull me up.  I took it even though we both knew I didn't need it.

"So have you picked up on any Spanish yet?"

"I'm embarrassed to say not much, but on the positive side I've barely watched any TV."

She grinned and laughed.

"Well, I'll find us a movie on TV after dinner.  I'll even translate for you."

I watched her as she started down the stairs.

"Hey Athena?"

She turned and looked up at me.  "Yeah?"

"You really love us?"

She grinned at me for a minute before answering.

"What's not to love?"


	11. Meanwhile

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

**Chapter 11:**

**Meanwhile…**

**Smith:**

I glanced down at my watch again.  He was already 5 minutes late.  He was always late.  It didn't seem to matter to him that tardiness was a liability in this business.

The waitress came over to refill my coffee, but I waved her away.  I was starting to consider leaving when I saw him walk through the side entrance of the diner.  About friggin' time.

He strolled leisurely over to my table and sat down in the booth.  

"Mr. Smith, long time no see."

"I'm a busy man, Jones."

"Of course."  He lit a cigarette and started puffing away.  I hated that shit and I was sure he did it just to piss me off.

"Being that you've made me wait, you'd better have something good for me."

"Don't I always?"  He blew the smoke out slowly and grinned.  He reached down into his trench coat and pulled out an envelope.  "This should make you happy."  He slid the envelope across the table towards me.

I picked it up and slid my finger under the flap.  I thumbed through the contents: progress reports, what looked like a financial summary—and photos.  That was new.  I was careful not to pull them out as I studied them.

Jones was grinning from ear to ear.  "I thought that would make you happy."

"Well it's about time you brought me something substantial."

"I told you—everything's right on schedule.  These things take time."

"Yes, but some things are worth waiting for."

"That's very true.  Especially when they're going to make you a very rich man."

I looked down at the photos again.

"Yes.  The loss of all of our preliminary data was a major setback, but you see it will all work out in the end.  We may have lost our original specimens, but these may turn out to be even better."

"I think you'll find them more than adequate."

"For your sakes, I'd better."

Jones' grin flickered for a moment, then he stood up.  "Always a pleasure, Mr. Smith."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones, I'll be in touch."

He nodded his head and left the way he came in.  I tucked the envelope inside my pocket and left my money on the table.  I needed to return quickly to share the news.  


	12. Home Again

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

**Chapter 12:**

**Home Again**

**Athena:**

Tomorrow was the deadline and not one of them had arrived yet.  I was trying desperately to play it cool in front of my sisters, but I was starting to really worry.  Leonardo was the only one who'd given me a definite yes and he hadn't even shown up yet.  Maybe this was a fashionably late thing--no one wanted to be the first one back.

I glanced at the clock again.  It was late.  I knew I should be going to bed, but I was too tense.  I crawled off my bed and headed over to my meditation corner.  A few hours of meditation would fix everything.

********

"Raphael requests entrance" 

My mind snapped back into reality at the sound of the computer's voice.  "Entrance permitted."

The doors of my room slid open and Raphael walked in.  He grinned when he saw me sitting in the corner.

"Hey you."

"Hey yourself—where the hell have you been?!?"

I jumped off my mat and raced over to hug him.  He picked me up and swung me around before pulling back to look at me.

"Were you worried?"

"I prefer 'concerned'."

He grinned.  "So you were worried."

"Whatever makes you happy.  I'm just glad you're here."

"Yeah, well, I was getting tired of frozen dinners.  I figured I might as well come back here and have some real meals."

"Thanks—and here I thought you came back for me!"

"Yeah, well, you are a nice perk."

"I guess I'll take what I can get."

"So is anybody else here yet?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Let me rephrase: is anyone else going to be here?"

"We'll see."

**Raphael:**

I flopped myself down onto her bed.  I certainly hadn't expected to be the first one back, and it never even crossed my mind that I'd be the only one.

As if she were reading my thoughts, she said, "they'll be here."

"Hey, _I'm_ not the one who's worried about it."

"I said I wasn't worried."  She was such a liar.  I really hoped for her sake that they would all be here.  I didn't want to know what it would do to her if they didn't show.

"So how come you're still up this late?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Yeah.  That's what happens when you're _worried_."

She glared at me and stuck her tongue out.

"Real mature.  So, how are you going to start training us tomorrow if you're all tired from not sleeping?"

"The same way you're going to work your ass off in training without sleeping.  Because you have to."

"Touché."

"So what exactly are we doing all night since we're not sleeping?"  I gave her one of my most mischievous grins.  She shook her head and sighed.

"We're going to go watch a movie down in the screen room."

"You don't just want to watch one in here?"

"No way, the screen's ten times bigger down there!  If we're going to stay up all night, we're going to do it right!"

"Well, actually, we could do that up here…"

"Raphael, I swear, you'd better knock it off.  I am your teacher, remember."

"That's what I'm saying—there are some other things you could teach me…"

"I will hurt you, Raph."

"Whatever turns you on, Athena."

"Will you just come on?"

I laughed and followed her out of the room.  This was shaping up to be a good first night back.

*****

I wasn't really surprised when I looked over halfway through "The Ring" and she was sound asleep.  She never did like scary movies.  She looked so peaceful all curled up around her pillow.  I gently brushed some stray hair out of her face and she didn't even budge.  Her slow steady breathing made me feel more tired.  I went back to watch the movie, but my eyelids were starting to get noticeably heavier.

"So this is where you're hiding."

I nearly jumped out of my seat.  I turned to see Michaelangelo standing in the doorway.  I couldn't believe I hadn't heard him come in.  I was getting rusty.

"Sorry dude, didn't mean to scare you."  He was obviously pretty proud he had, though.

"Good to see you, man."  I stood up and gave him a hug.

"Right back at ya."

"What did you do to her?"  He nodded his head in Athena's direction.

"I wore her out."

Mike just gave me a look and shook his head.

"Let's get out of here so we don't wake her."

"Yeah, and I'm starving."

**Michaelangelo:**

It was the strangest feeling as I walked to the kitchen with Raph.  Part of me felt like I'd just seen him yesterday and I was completely at ease.  The rest of me felt like I was walking beside a stranger.  He did look a little different, but I couldn't exactly say what it was or why.  I was glad when he broke the silence.

"So where did they ship you off to?"

"Australia."

"No shit.  How was it?"

"I loved it.  I never thought I'd get to go to anyplace like that.  It was great.  How about you?"

"Japan."

"Really?  I would've thought she'd send Leo there."

"Yeah, me too."

"So did you like it there?"

"For what I saw of it.  I really didn't leave the house too much."

"I can't believe that—I remember the days when we couldn't keep you _in_."

"Yeah, I remember those days too."

I started pulling cooking utensils and pans from the cupboards.  "So what'll it be?"

"You know, I could really go for one of your omelets."

"Comin' right up, bro."  I fished through the refrigerator until I found some eggs, cheese and assorted vegetables.  Raph had gone quiet sitting at the counter.  It made me a little uneasy.  I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"So how long have you been back here?"

"I only got here a few hours before you."

"Do you know if Leo or Don is coming?

"Not a clue, but Athena seems to think they are.  Those two are pretty punctual though and the fact that we're here before them doesn't bode well."

"I can't imagine they wouldn't come back though."

"Well, people change."

"You seriously think they would've changed that much?"

"Who knows?"

"You want peppers in yours?"

"You even gotta ask that?"

"Hey, people change."

I turned to see him giving me one of his 'Mike, you're hopeless' expressions.  I laughed.  I was glad _some_ things didn't change.

"You know, I told Don we should've just checked the kitchen first."

I turned around to see Leo and Don standing in the doorway.  They were both grinning.

"So, Mike, what're you making there?"

"Omelets—you guys hungry?"

"You're kidding, right?  I haven't had your cooking in what feels like years, and after having to cook for myself all this time, I'll tell you I have a brand new appreciation for it!"  Don slapped me on the back.

"So everybody will just have the usual?"

"The usual would be great, Mike."  Leo walked over to supervise my progress.

"Hey, just remember, mine's first."

"Don't worry, Raph, everyone knows better than to steal your food."  Leo grabbed a carrot to munch on while he waited.

"So Raph and I were just talking about our little vacations.  Where'd you guys end up?"

"South Africa."

"South Africa?  Why the hell'd she send you there?"

Don laughed.  "Well, gee, Raph, I don't know.  I didn't really ask."

"How was it?"

"Let's put it this way—she wouldn't give me a computer."

"Ouch.  I'm sorry dude."

"Yeah, so am I.  So just appreciate the fact I'm in here with you right now and not up in my room on my computer."

"So how about you, Leo?"

"Mexico."

"Wait a minute!  She sends me to Japan—and you get to go to Margaritaville?!?"

"I can't believe she sent _you_ to Japan!"

"Well not when she could've sent me to Mexico!  I'm starting to think she got a little confused."

"It certainly seems that way, but knowing her it was probably all part of her little plan."

"I can't believe you got to go to Mexico.  Wait until she wakes up!"

"She's sleeping?"

I couldn't resist the opportunity to pick on Raph.

"Yeah, when I showed up they were all curled up and cozy on one of the couches in the screen room."

"Shut the fuck up, Mikey."

"Oh, I think you hit a nerve Mike!"

"He did not—he just doesn't know what the hell he's talking about so he needs to keep his mouth shut!"

"Dude, I know what I saw!"

"You saw nothing."

"Whatever you say, man, whatever you say."

We all laughed at Raph's expense, but there was nothing too new there.  We talked about the last few months, even though as it turned out none of us really did anything exciting.  I made everybody's omelets and finally sat down with my own.  Raphael had already inhaled his by then.  He and Don were in mid-argument over who had the more depraved situation while they were gone.  I just laughed to myself.  It was good to be home.


	13. Attack of the Killer Psyche

_Disclaimer:  I do not own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; they are the property of Mirage Studios, Inc.  I am only borrowing them for the entertainment of those reading this.  Please don't sue me, I assure you—I have no money.  The other characters are mine, please don't borrow without permission.  _

This one's a little fluffier than my usual chapters, but I was in a mood… 

**Chapter 13:**

**Attack of the Killer Psyche!**

**Nemesis:**

"Psyche, come on!  We're already late for our run.  I don't know what the hell you're doing in there anyway, in case you haven't noticed it's just us girls here, and I really don't give a shit what you look like!"

I sighed and flopped myself back down on the edge of her bed.  Every morning was the same routine.  I might as well start sleeping in; she's never ready on time.  Psyche was definitely the most girly-girl of all of us.  It drove me nuts, but at the same time it gave me an endless source from which I could pick on her mercilessly.

"Okay, I'm ready.  Let's go."

"'Bout friggin' time."

She stuck her tongue out at me.  "Let's swing by the kitchen on the way out; I need something to drink first or I won't make it through our run."

I gave her my most exasperated sigh, which she of course ignored.

The second we walked through the door of the kitchen she started squealing like a stuck pig.

"What the hell is your problem!?!"

"Omigod, do you see all these dirty dishes?"

"Yeah, someone's gonna get yelled at when Iris sees them—why do you care?"

"Hello?!?  Don't you know what this means?"

"No, but I'm sure you're going to enlighten me."

"Duh!  The boys are home!"

I surveyed the kitchen a little more closely.  Dishes, utensils, frying pan, general messiness—it certainly did look like Michaelangelo's handiwork.

"Okay, so what time is it?  Where would they be right now?"

"Will you calm the hell down!  I'm sure they're in training right now.  That is what they're here for, remember?"

"Whatever, let's go."

"Where are you going?"  It was really a rhetorical question as she was practically running through the lounge room.

"Training room."  I sighed and followed after her, hoping she would listen to reason.

"You can't interrupt their practice.  Athena will kick your ass!"

"I don't care; I haven't seen them in months!"

"Bullshit!  You just snuck off and visited your boyfriend two weeks ago!"

"He is not my boyfriend, and who cares?"

"Iris, for one."  We both stepped into the elevator.

"She'll get over it."

"Why can't you just wait until lunch time when they're finished?"

"Hey, you're the one who's always telling me I've got instant gratification problems.  I'm just proving your right, enjoy it."  We stepped out of the elevator and she lit off down the hallway.  She was so damn juvenile sometimes.

It was useless to even attempt to stop her at this point, seeing as she was already requesting access to the training room.

**Psyche:**

I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin waiting for that damn door to open.  If Athena put a lock on it I'd have to hurt her.

The doors slid open.  Success!

Just as Neme predicted, they were in mid-session.  As I raced over to Michaelangelo, it did occur to me that it might be a little dangerous to just jump right into their sparring, but oh well.  I pounced and tackled him to the floor.

"Mikey, you're home!"

"What the—Psyche, what the hell are you doing?"

"I missed you!"  I gave him my best doe eyes and grinned.

He laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I missed you too."

I grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him on the head.  "I'm so glad you're home!"

The kiss obviously dazed him, so I moved on to the next closest target—Raphael.

"Raph!"

I threw my arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

"Donnie!"

His back was turned to me, so I just jumped on him from behind and started planting kisses all over the back of his head.

"Psyche, what the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, don't worry Leo, I didn't forget about you!"

Before he could even step out of the way, I jumped off Donnie and right onto him, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.  I pulled his face right up close to mine.

"Didja miss me?"

He cracked a smile in spite of himself, because I could tell he was trying hard to be annoyed.

"Yeah, sure."

"Awww."  I kissed him on the beak and felt a tap on my shoulder.  I turned my head to see Athena's face just inches from my own.

"Are you quite finished?"  She looked thoroughly unenthused.

"Um, yeah.  I'll go now."

"I think that's a good idea."

"Yeah, I'll just go run with Neme now."  I climbed off Leo and started back towards the door, where Nemesis was standing with a huge grin on her face.

"You're hopeless, you know that?"

"Yeah, but it's what makes me so loveable."  I batted my eyes at her.

"No, it's what makes you a freak."

"That's not very nice."

"I'm not, if you hadn't noticed."  She arched her eyebrow at me.

"Well, at least they know _I_ missed them."

Neme turned her attention back towards the room.  

"Welcome back, guys.  Let's hope you can behave yourselves and make this stay a little longer!"  She turned back to me and gave me one of her most mischievous grins.

"You're a terrible person, Neme."

"Ah yes, but that _is_ what makes me so loveable!"


End file.
